Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
As the globe’s “do or die” UN climate conference gets underway next week, Canada must scale up efforts to meet its ambitious ocean conservation targets to simultaneously prevent the wholesale collapse of marine biodiversity and tackle climate change, experts say. As the largest ecosystem on Earth, the ocean is critical to regulating the climate and helping produce oxygen, rain, drinking water, and food, as well as sustaining livelihoods for three billion people.
The question posted across the screen during both the French and English federal leader’s debates asked: “Water for all Indigenous Peoples?” The question sounds absurd because it is. Yes, we are still trying to ensure Indigenous Peoples have safe, reliable access to clean drinking water. The leaders took turns tossing blame, calling the Indigenous water crisis a national shame and promising to do better. Two election cycles ago, the governing party promised to eliminate all boil water advisories in Indigenous communities. The government lifted 108 boil water advisories, but today hundreds of Indigenous communities still do not have reliable access to safe drinking water.
Experts say Canada still has a long way to go. “It could be measured in years because not only is it the current boil water advisories as they exist, but we also need to make sure that the facilities that are operating remain safe and remain regulated and (are) operated properly,” said Dr. Graham Gagnon, director for the Centre for Water Resources Studies at Dalhousie University.
If you notice an off odour or discolouration to the water coming out of your taps, the City of London says not to worry. "The City assures residents that the water continues to be safe and meets all health standards," reads a release from the City issued Monday afternoon. Properties in southeast London could be affected by issues with water coming from Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes the local drinking water is sourced.
In SaskWater’s recently released 2020-21 Annual Report highlights included a number of bright spots for the Crown corporation in a year marked by significant challenges. Despite the complexities of staff working remotely and the adjustments needed to ensure safe working conditions for essential workers, SaskWater customers did not experience service interruptions attributed to the pandemic.
The City of Leduc has implemented a Lead Management program to support the continued health and safety of residents. It is also part of a provincial requirement to ensure compliance with the lead level limit outlined in Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality, which were updated in 2019. Leduc’s drinking water is safe and clean. This program is purely precautionary, and is required of all municipalities in Alberta. Health Canada has lowered the Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) of lead in drinking water by 50 per cent, from 10 to 5 parts per billion (PPB), and changed the location of where compliance must be met from the system’s point of distribution to the customer’s tap.
The federal government seeks feedback on whether the objectives outlined in the Discussion Paper are the right objectives for the government to pursue and input on which objectives should be prioritized. Input is sought from provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, local authorities, the private sector, non-government organizations, and the public. Feedback will inform the federal government's next steps in implementing the CWA. The deadline for providing feedback on the Discussion Paper is March 1, 2021. Information about where to send responses is provided in the Discussion Paper. In January 2021, the federal government will host a virtual national freshwater policy forum. A series of regional forums will be held in February 2021 to provide further opportunities for Canadians to participate in consultations on the Discussion Paper.
Another factor in the chief's decision is the fact that the plant still isn't running at capacity. It's designed to produce 3.8 litres of water per second for each of its two treatment lines, but the most it can produce now is less than three litres, according to project progress reports obtained by CBC News. "The amount would still meet the [community's] need," said Lalita Bharadwaj, a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan who studies access to safe drinking water in First Nations. "But it raises concerns about the sustainability of the system, and operations and management of the system." Bharadwaj said there should be four operators working at the plant — two who are certified and two others from the local community who can receive training, which she said could take years.
Dawn Stewart said she’d never encountered the foul flavour of her home’s tap water until she filled up a glass a few weeks ago. “It was disgusting and I said ‘does it taste like there’s dirt in it?'” “I ran the water for a bit and it was worse — even when I’ve got soap in it, it still has that musty odour.” With no water filters in her Royal Oak home, Stewart said the water’s earthy flavour is a disincentive to drinking it. And initially, she wondered if consuming it posed a health risk.
Researchers from three Maritime universities are hoping microbes collected from the bottom of a lake near an abandoned gold mine in Dartmouth, N.S., will provide a model for how to clean up contaminated sites across the province in a quicker and less-intrusive way. Last May, a research team took a boat to the middle of Lake Charles, not far from the former Montague gold mine, where extensive mining took place from 1860 to about 1940.
Ottawa says they’re on track to make their commitment of lifting every long-term drinking water advisory on reserves by March of next year. Since November of 2015, the federal government has lifted 87 advisories. Here in Saskatchewan, there are currently seven long-term drinking water advisories including one on the Little Pine First Nation located approximately 70 kilometres northwest of North Battleford. Two months ago, the drinking water advisory in that community became long-term after being in place for more than 12 months.
ONEIDA NATION OF THE THAMES — Jennifer George’s home sits on a gravel road that separates this Indigenous community near London, Ont., from the neighbouring township of Southwold. On George’s side of the road, virtually no one trusts the drinking water that flows from the Thames River to their homes. Many have the same 18-litre blue jugs that line the floor of George’s kitchen, ubiquitous sources of water for drinking and cooking.
Testing has found Deer Lake's drinking water is safe, after barrels were found in the canal that supplies the town's water.
"It showed that the drinking water was safe during the whole period and [there was] no detrimental effect to the drinking water," said Darren Pelley, general manager of Kruger-owned Corner Brook Pulp and Paper.
"We're pleased that that's the conclusion, the report was fairly extensive."
